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Pollution charge zone for lorries set to win go-ahead
Last updated at 10:32am on 10.05.07
Lorries and buses could be charged to enter Greater London
Ken Livingstone is today expected to give the green light to a scheme that will charge polluting buses and lorries about £200 a day to enter Greater London.
The Mayor wants to introduce a low-emission zone that would force commercial vehicles belching fumes to pay heavily to enter the capital.
The move, a 2004 manifesto pledge, has been attacked as "another tax on businesses disguised as an environmental measure". Critics say it will add to global warming by requiring new vehicles to be manufactured ahead of time.
The Mayor is expected to sign the official order to bring the £130million zone into effect by next year, with tougher controls phased in by 2012.
He says the scheme is necessary because London has the UK's worst air pollution and hundreds of people die unnecessarily from respiratory diseases each year.
Initially HGVs, buses and coaches would have to meet Euro III standards for particulate emissions.
Transit- style vans and minibuses would be covered by 2010, and there is an outside chance that cars and car-derived vans would be included by 2012.
Congestion charge cameras would scan number plates, allowing them to be cross-checked against a DVLA emissions databank - with any owner failing to pay the charge facing a fine of up to £1,000.
But critics say the scheme fails to target nitrogen oxide gases and risks transferring the airquality problems to the rest of the country if operators switch their older fleets out of London.
Big business organisation London First said the low-emission zone was a "blunt device" that failed to concentrate on central London, where pollution is most acute, or on the problems caused by cars and taxis.
Chief executive Baroness Valentine said: "We support the Mayor's stated aim to tackle London's pollution and improve the environment but the lowemission zone is a tax disguised as an environmental measure. It's all stick and no carrot."
Mr Livingstone said: "I am unaware of any better way forward. I accept that there will be significant costs for small businesses and the public sector in replacing and upgrading vehicles. However, I also accept TfL's view that it is not unreasonable to expect owners of the most polluting HGVs, buses or coaches to upgrade their vehicles - or fit pollution-abatement equipment."
Reader views (6)
Just for your info - London taxis have been included in TFL's emission stratagy for the last 18 months or so but the only systems that have been passed for taxis by TFL actually significantly worsen the smoke emissions of cabs, reduce the cabs performance and poisen the driver, as well as costing approx £2500 to fit. Follow any older cab (Fairway) down the Bayswater Road to see what I mean. I have no doubt that when these systems i.e. particulate filters in the exhaust, are fitted to HGVs they will not work either. When they have taxed the motor vehicle out of existance what will they tax then? I appreciate that the Mayor wants to clean the air in London, but I hope he does a good job because that is all we Londoners will be able to afford soon-fresh air.
- Tony, London
Another nail in the coffin of London from an a Mayor obsessed by his own ego! Driving trucks away from the capital and or imposing penalties will drive the cost of living up. Is this man totally out of touch with everday life or just mad!
- Nigel, London, England
Very good idea so long as all TFL vehicles and franchise operators meet this requirement before it is implemented – would this also include all taxis? Also why was the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus trial - which has zero emissions apart from water - ended in January 2007 and not extended or made a permanent service when TFL quote them as "The buses proved so reliable that when they were switched to RV1, all three buses were put into service and ran as part of the normal timetable." These Hydrogen Fuel Cell Buses operated from Jan 2004 until Jan 2007. Surely it would have been better to purchase a new fleet of buses that run on Hydrogen rather than diesel since the bus fleet was being renewed/purchased anyways?
- Wayne, London
I support this scheme - but only if it is made to apply to:
* TfL's own buses, many of which are visible polluters
* London taxis - again belching black diesel fumes all over town
* The 'white van brigade', many of which ought to be in a museum
The air quality in parts of London is dismal, and needs rapidly to be improved. I think the charge should be thought of as a fine - upgrade your vehicle or we'll fine you £200 a day.
- Colin, London
This is just another nail in the coffin for small businesses - does Livingstone honestly think the average haulier earns a spare £1,000 per week from a delivery vehicle to pay this new charge? Of course not. Then he also doesn't care about more costs for the consumer and more costs in payments to the people put out of work by his planned manic attitudes.
It really is time that Livingstone joins Blair in political retirement - after all, we will still have Brown to finish off their seemingly avowed intent to turn England into a third world country.
- Robin, London W6
On your bike Livingstone, it's time to go.
- Danny, London
